How to dispose of propane tanks, pool chemicals, fireworks, and batteries after a summer party
Graduation parties, backyard barbecues, pool days, and Fourth of July celebrations all crowd into the same few summer weeks, and they leave behind a pile of items that don't have an obvious home the next morning. Check out these summer party cleanup tips to know how to get rid of it all safely and with the least effort.
How to dispose of propane tanks
That propane tank can be the most misplaced item of the season. Propane tanks are pressurized and flammable, so they can't go in your garbage or your recycling bin. It doesn’t matter if it’s a one-pound camping cylinder or a full-size tank. Even an "empty" tank holds enough residual gas to be a hazard.
If a tank still has gas, refill or exchange it at a participating retailer. When it's genuinely empty and finished, propane tank disposal is free at our Utica and Rome EcoDrops year-round, as long as the tanks are under 100 pounds.
How to dispose of pool chemicals
Leftover chlorine, shock, algaecide, and pH balancers are household hazardous waste, not trash. Don't pour them down a drain, onto the lawn, or into a storm sewer, and don't toss them in the garbage – they're corrosive and can react dangerously.
Pool chemical disposal is free, but only at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at EcoDrop Utica, and only seasonally – April 1st through September 30th.
Are pool toys and kiddie pools recyclable?
Mostly no. Floppy plastic — inflatable pool toys, floats, air mattresses, and inflatable pools — is not recyclable. It could wrap around the sorting equipment at the recycling center and force a shutdown to cut it loose. If you can't repair the float or want to get rid of it, it goes in your garbage.
Hard plastic is the exception. Rigid kiddie and wading pools, sand buckets, and plastic lawn furniture count as bulky rigid plastics and can be dropped off for free at the Utica or Rome EcoDrops. Do not set them at the curb.
How to dispose of fireworks
Fireworks can stay hazardous even after they've been lit — never put a firework straight in the trash. The Authority's method is simple: soak the fireworks in water for at least 15 minutes, then seal them in a plastic bag so they don't dry out. The soaked, bagged fireworks can then go in your garbage bin. Party poppers go straight in the garbage, no soaking needed. Never put fireworks in a recycling bin.
Where do batteries go? (Not the recycling bin)
One rule covers every kind: batteries should never go in your recycling bin. Whether disposable or rechargeable, they can spark and start fires in trucks and at the recycling center.
Household non-rechargeable alkaline batteries — along with lithium and carbon-zinc types — are safe to go into your regular garbage. Rechargeable batteries need special handling: lithium-ion, lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, and lithium-ion polymer batteries should be brought to the Utica or Rome EcoDrop, or to a participating retailer such as Lowe's or Home Depot.
What's recyclable at a cookout, and what isn't
A little sorting keeps a lot out of the landfill. Reusable plates, cups, and silverware are always greenest — but when you go disposable, here's what your bins can take:
- Plastic cups, including SOLO cups, are recyclable — empty the liquid and contents and place them in the recycling.
- Plates, plasticware, and napkins are not recyclable. Those are garbage, every time.
- Paper and plastic tablecloths go in the garbage.
- Balloons, ribbon, and string are garbage – never recycling.
- Do you have a backyard compost bin? Food scraps and uncoated paper goods can go there instead of the trash. See how to compost.
Free recycling bins for graduation parties and cookouts
Hosting a graduation party, block party, or big cookout? The Authority offers cardboard recycling containers you can set beside your trash cans so guests have an easy place to drop bottles and cans — and the bins themselves get recycled afterward. Contact us to request containers. Facility pick-up can be arranged.
Too much waste to fit in the bin?
Big gatherings can mean overflow in your designated bins. Extra garbage or recycling that won't fit can be taken to an EcoDrop: recyclables are dumped loose (no bags) and accepted free of charge, while household garbage is $2.00 per 35-gallon bag.
Quick Answers
Q: Can I put a propane tank in the trash or recycling?
A: No. Propane tanks are pressurized and flammable and cannot go in your garbage or recycling. Empty tanks weighing under 100 pounds are accepted free of charge year-round at EcoDrop Utica or EcoDrop Rome.
Q: Where do I take old pool chemicals in Oneida or Herkimer County?
A: Pool chemicals are household hazardous waste and are accepted free at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at EcoDrop Utica from April 1st through September 30th.
Q: Are inflatable pools and pool toys recyclable?
A: No. Inflatable pools, floats, and pool toys are not recyclable and belong in the garbage. Hard plastic kiddie pools can be dropped off at EcoDrop as bulky rigid plastics.
Q: How do I dispose of used or dud fireworks?
A: Soak them in water for at least 15 minutes, seal them in a plastic bag, and place them in your household garbage. Fireworks are not recyclable.
Q: Can batteries go in the recycling bin?
A: No. No batteries belong in recycling. Alkaline, lithium, and carbon-zinc batteries go in the garbage; rechargeable batteries go to an EcoDrop or a participating retailer like Lowe's or Home Depot.